We honestly need to go with the obvious (Boat)

[husky711]

This is getting ridiculous... I just can't seem to wrap my head around it all. Boatright is so clearly, far and above the best and most obvious natural leader on this team. He doesn't pound the ball and point around making the offense stagnant at best (i.e. Bazz); and yeah, he did make some mistakes tonight but he was actually showing the will to win throughout the minutes he got (both vocally and by hustling everywhere). Yet Calhoun STILL puts Shabazz back at the point for a significant portion of the second half. The fact that we went from a 6-8 point lead to a 10 point deficit as the point switched over to Bazz (and stayed due to the fouls on Boat) should've been all the reason in the world for Boat to run the show for nearly the entire second half. It makes zero sense to me and drives me nuts. I'm not blaming everything on Shabazz as Lamb couldn't hit the broad side of a barn... but Shabazz is taking us nowhere very fast at the point. Our offense has become horrendous under him and he is not going to help our guys build confidence or find a stride on offense any time soon. Heck, you can see it in the players' body language. They all work for position and to get open on offense more when Boat is in because they know he's likely to hit them with a pass. Not the case with Shabazz.

It's time to go with what works. I know Lamb had a horrendous game, again I'm not blaming it all on Shabazz. But it's time to fix a significant part of the issue. Boatright seems very clearly to be a natural leader and knows how to get others in position and make them better. It was like a breath of fresh air seeing the offense at the beginning of the game until subs came in, and then back to the same crap we've seen for the last 3 (now 4) games.

Just my opinion, doesn't mean much of anything.. but it just seems very obvious at this point and has become painful to watch.

 

[Askgreek]

I agree...wondering if there is something else going on with this team?

 

[superjohn]

Agree 100%

 

[huskymagic]

This is getting ridiculous... I just can't seem to wrap my head around it all. Boatright is so clearly, far and above the best and most obvious natural leader on this team. He doesn't pound the ball and point around making the offense stagnant at best (i.e. Bazz); and yeah, he did make some mistakes tonight but he was actually showing the will to win throughout the minutes he got (both vocally and by hustling everywhere). Yet Calhoun STILL puts Shabazz back at the point for a significant portion of the second half. The fact that we went from a 6-8 point lead to a 10 point deficit as the point switched over to Bazz (and stayed due to the fouls on Boat) should've been all the reason in the world for Boat to run the show for nearly the entire second half. It makes zero sense to me and drives me nuts. I'm not blaming everything on Shabazz as Lamb couldn't hit the broad side of a barn... but Shabazz is taking us nowhere very fast at the point. Our offense has become horrendous under him and he is not going to help our guys build confidence or find a stride on offense any time soon. Heck, you can see it in the players' body language. They all work for position and to get open on offense more when Boat is in because they know he's likely to hit them with a pass. Not the case with Shabazz.

It's time to go with what works. I know Lamb had a horrendous game, again I'm not blaming it all on Shabazz. But it's time to fix a significant part of the issue. Boatright seems very clearly to be a natural leader and knows how to get others in position and make them better. It was like a breath of fresh air seeing the offense at the beginning of the game until subs came in, and then back to the same crap we've seen for the last 3 (now 4) games.

Just my opinion, doesn't mean much of anything.. but it just seems very obvious at this point and has become painful to watch.

Excellent post and I made this point in another thread as well. I have no idea what Calhoun was thinking [playing Napier for that long int he game especially at point where we went from a 7 point lead to a 10 point deficit at halftime and was never close after that into the second half. I dont get why Calhoun would start Boat and then have Napier run the point in most of the game. Napier is a limited player and athlete who is getting exposed by opposing point guards like I predicted. He is a backup and a bench player and not a starter on this team. The whole team's body language is awful when he is in the game, and they stand around doing nothing. Boatright needs to play all 40 minutes unless he is in deep foul trouble or needs a break.

 

[August_West]

Boat stupidly picked up his second foul on a dumb charge with 13 minutes left in the first half. So he sat.
Let me ask this, If boat is such the obvious answer why did our offense look no better in the second half?

I like boat, i think he is an asset now and s possible star in the future, but this team will go as Napier and Lamb go.


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[Giddyup5]

I thought this was one of Calhoun's worst substitution games ever. After seeing the success we had with Boat in the first few minutes he should have played him more in the second half.

 

[hungry husky]

Those first 3 minutes were such a tease!

 

[TopDog18]

Boat stupidly picked up his second foul on a dumb charge with 13 minutes left in the first half. So he sat.
Let me ask this, If boat is such the obvious answer why did our offense look no better in the second half?

I like boat, i think he is an asset now and s possible star in the future, but this team will go as Napier and Lamb go

First, he only played about 10 minutes of the second half. Why? Who the hell knows. And when he was in, Shabazz was still running the point, couldn't you tell, he had the ball in his hands almost the entire second half. This team will go as Napier go? Yea to that NIT. Boat is the answer.

 

[superjohn]

Seriously this team will go as Shabazz goes? Nowhere. Things won't be perfect with Boat running the point but it's a hell of a lot better option than Shabazz at this point.

 

[TheChamps990411]

i cant believe how bad bazz is right now. i cringe when i see him witht the ball now. forget boat this game changed when jc subbed for AD. made no sense but the offense wasnt the same after that.

 

[iam76]

on the bright side wolf got in and hacked a dude.

 

[Burnsbros23]

I think Wolf showed his full arsenal and his massive potential..... he gives us 5 fouls

 

[UconnDon]

First, he only played about 10 minutes of the second half. Why? Who the hell knows. And when he was in, Shabazz was still running the point, couldn't you tell, he had the ball in his hands almost the entire second half. This team will go as Napier go? Yea to that NIT. Boat is the answer.

Not so sure the NIT is a lock with this present trend. Our Feb sked is rough, and I'm not overly optimistic.

 

[Cheddie]

I thought this was one of Calhoun's worst substitution games ever. After seeing the success we had with Boat in the first few minutes he should have played him more in the second half.

Beyond the substitution pattern, sometimes Calhoun needs to suspend his mandatory "sit for the rest of the half" when you get a 2nd foul. With that awful drought, and nothing working, Boat probably should have gone back in the game. (He finished the game with only 3 fouls).

Napier is in a real funk now and Calhoun mentioned his poor body language after the game. UConn has a great PG on the bench in KO - perhaps he can get Shabazz straightened out.

 

[Marat]

When UNC's starting PG Drew left the team last year, Marshall picked up the pieces and they played better. I see the need for Boatright to do the same, as the main PG.

 

[dpross]

When UNC's starting PG Drew left the team last year, Marshall picked up the pieces and they played better. I see the need for Boatright to do the same, as the main PG.

I made this exact same point to a UNC fan the other day and I think the parallels are there, although Boat has better scoring potential. I was at the game last night and it was downright dreadful to watch. What these posts have reminded me is that Boat undoubtedly deferred to Bazz the majority of the time that they were on the floor together. For this to work, that can't happen. Sure, Bazz is there to take the ball up the court, if needed, but Boat needs to steer the ship. Bazz is a better scorer off the ball anyway.

 

[TopDog18]

When UNC's starting PG Drew left the team last year, Marshall picked up the pieces and they played better. I see the need for Boatright to do the same, as the main PG.

Great point, I was thinking about that as well. That move really turned their season around last year.

 

[pete8122]

If basketball had a +/- stat like hockey I'm almost willing to bet Shabazz leads the team in the - category. The new lineup early on seemed to have put a spark in the team and it almost felt like there was renewed life. When things are going well why then are you so quick to break that up? At the 16:00 mark JC went right back to Shabazz and an 8 point lead went to a 10 point deficit. The second he stepped onto the court everything changed and the body language his along with everyone else's went back to the sulking look like "oh great here we go again". You have to throw out all your little mandatory self imposed rules at this point regarding substitutions. If a lineup on the floor gets on a roll leave it be and let them go for an extended period of time. The last thing this team needs right now is to have good momentum broken up for no reason.

 

[Danzz]

I thought this was one of Calhoun's worst substitution games ever. After seeing the success we had with Boat in the first few minutes he should have played him more in the second half.

JC is trying to find a group that works and none did last night. We took a lot of bad shots but even so some should have gone in. Georgetown didn't score very well either. The defense remains pretty good but the offense is disjointed.We did pretty well last year with Bazz at the point and we don't beat Georgetown last night with Magic Johnson at PG.The answer isn't one player.
I still think we should start last years NCC team and bring Drummond and Boat off the bench. We have to get Alex back to C and get him going or we'll be looking at the NIT.

 

[microfich]

Bazz came in with that 'all swagger' reputation. JC hoped to grow that swagger into leadership but the kid can't get over himself. His confidence is gone. He now must realize he's a step slow and inches short to be a major force as a primary option at this level. He's been getting posterized down low and plays no defense besides that reach-around move that everyone now knows. I spit every time I see him throw his head back trying to draw a foul call. His new foul shot routine is a line-driver loser. He's kicking out his leg on his jumper. He has some skills and moxie but is still a raw soph as far as running the point. Most of his BE points (when he does make a hoop) have come in the last few minutes of a fading game jacking up schooyard 3's. If he ever realizes job #1 is to improve his teammates, he'll have a shot to be a decent contributor. Boat's quicks help make up for lack of size but he'll be in learning mode the rest of the season.

Please, give me some big point guards! JC never went with sub six footers - except for Special K(halid). NCAA stuff has surely hurt recruiting.

 

[3rdbass]

JC is trying to find a group that works and none did last night. We took a lot of bad shots but even so some should have gone in. Georgetown didn't score very well either. The defense remains pretty good but the offense is disjointed.We did pretty well last year with Bazz at the point and we don't beat Georgetown last night with Magic Johnson at PG.The answer isn't one player.
I still think we should start last years NCC team and bring Drummond and Boat off the bench. We have to get Alex back to C and get him going or we'll be looking at the NIT.

No keep AO as far from the court as possible. I love seeing AD's game developed. He has a better post up game, which of course is still in it's infancy, in half a season than what AO has in 2 and a half season's. I fringe when I see the ball in AO's hands.

 

[huskymagic]

Bazz came in with that 'all swagger' reputation. JC hoped to grow that swagger into leadership but the kid can't get over himself. His confidence is gone. He now must realize he's a step slow and inches short to be a major force as a primary option at this level. He's been getting posterized down low and plays no defense besides that reach-around move that everyone now knows. I spit every time I see him throw his head back trying to draw a foul call. His new foul shot routine is a line-driver loser. He's kicking out his leg on his jumper. He has some skills and moxie but is still a raw soph as far as running the point. Most of his BE points (when he does make a hoop) have come in the last few minutes of a fading game jacking up schooyard 3's. If he ever realizes job #1 is to improve his teammates, he'll have a shot to be a decent contributor. Boat's quicks help make up for lack of size but he'll be in learning mode the rest of the season.

Please, give me some big point guards! JC never went with sub six footers - except for Special K(halid). NCAA stuff has surely hurt recruiting.

Your right about the fact that we need to recruit some bigger point guards but the problem is that Napier was elevated to a position and a role that is unfortunately beyond his capabilities. He is a limited player and athlete who cannot be a main player on a championship-caliber team like UCONN. Calhoun and the coaching staff are to blame for this ineptitude by not startin Roscoe from the beginning, and by putting too much faith and trust in a limited player like Napier.

The two little guard lineup of Boat and Bazz together will not work on teams that have bigger and quicker guards because they will expose our guards on the defensive end. Napier gets exposed by opposing guards almost every game which is why we need to go big like last year's lineup.

Boat, lamb, roscoe, oriakhi and drummond should be the starters at their respective positions and without substitutions for 10-20 minutes at a time. Our team doesn't have the depth of players and talent needed in order to substitute alot of players in and out. Those 5 guys need to play most minutes with napier and giffey as our sixth men.

 

[orangehomer]

If basketball had a +/- stat like hockey I'm almost willing to bet Shabazz leads the team in the - category. The new lineup early on seemed to have put a spark in the team and it almost felt like there was renewed life. When things are going well why then are you so quick to break that up? At the 16:00 mark JC went right back to Shabazz and an 8 point lead went to a 10 point deficit. The second he stepped onto the court everything changed and the body language his along with everyone else's went back to the sulking look like "oh great here we go again". You have to throw out all your little mandatory self imposed rules at this point regarding substitutions. If a lineup on the floor gets on a roll leave it be and let them go for an extended period of time. The last thing this team needs right now is to have good momentum broken up for no reason.

you can look at +/- for individual games on this site

http://statsheet.com/mcb/games/2012/02/01/connecticut-44-georgetown-58

 

[Burnsbros23]

Your right about the fact that we need to recruit some bigger point guards but the problem is that Napier was elevated to a position and a role that is unfortunately beyond his capabilities. He is a limited player and athlete who cannot be a main player on a championship-caliber team like UCONN. Calhoun and the coaching staff are to blame for this ineptitude by not startin Roscoe from the beginning, and by putting too much faith and trust in a limited player like Napier.

The two little guard lineup of Boat and Bazz together will not work on teams that have bigger and quicker guards because they will expose our guards on the defensive end. Napier gets exposed by opposing guards almost every game which is why we need to go big like last year's lineup.

Boat, lamb, roscoe, oriakhi and drummond should be the starters at their respective positions and without substitutions for 10-20 minutes at a time. Our team doesn't have the depth of players and talent needed in order to substitute alot of players in and out. Those 5 guys need to play most minutes with napier and giffey as our sixth men.

I mean Bazz was pretty much the starting PG on our team last year. However I feel he needs to have a superstar on the team so he understands things are played through him otherwise he just dribbles and dribbles. He knew his job last year help handle the ball and get it to Kemba. He really has no clue how to run a team without Kemba.

 

[UConn990411]

Dont' bother with him - anyone that thinks Shabazz's problems are that he is "limited" offensively is beyond stupid.